The Annual ‘Amazing Oscar Overview’ is Finally Here!

The time has come. The highlight of the movie industry is here: THE ACADEMY AWARDS! After months of watching, predicting, GoldDerby-ing, Rotten Tomato-ing, and getting up at 5:30 AM to hear the Oscar nominees, the time has come to cast my votes.

Nothing is more prestigious than the Oscar. Why do we even care what the Golden Globe turnout is, or who won a Critic’s Choice Award? We don’t. This just gives us an insight into who will have a chance at Oscar gold. So with that, let the festivities commence! But first, the snubs and surprises.

SURPRISE: We all know it: Jonah Hill. People are quite outraged about this rookie obtaining a spot with all the pros. But you know what? I thought his work in Moneyball was actually nomination worthy. Not Oscar worthy, but definitely deserving a nod.

SNUB: Oh dear, it seems the Academy does not enjoy David Fincher. Why didn’t he get a nod for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo!? He deserved to win for The Social Network last year, they could have at least given him a nomination here.

SURPRISE: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close for getting any nominations at all, let alone best picture. Some say its the ‘worst movie to be nominated for best picture’. I don’t know if it’s that great or not, but a 9/11 movie has got to be a tear-jerker.

SNUB: Only 1 nomination for Drive!? Please, just throw out Extremely Loud and put Drive in! I know the Academy is in love with happy movies and doesn’t care for the dark type (as we can see from the lack of Dragon Tattoo nominations) , but come on, Drive was beautiful, and Ryan Gosling’s ‘Driver’ is a hero in his own way.

SURPRISE: Only 2 nominations for best original song? Huh.

SNUB: In my opinion, this is the biggest: no best animated picture nomination for The Adventures of Tintin! I am a HUGE Tintin fan, I have the comics! I think people just need to get over themselves and accept that motion capture is animation.

Finally, here is the key for the nominations:

“Will Win”- Who the Academy probably picked

“Should Win”- Who I think should actually win

Highlighted name/movie– My pick to win

I will be predicting in 20 out of the 24 categories. Here we go!

BEST ACTOR

• Demiàn Bichir, A Better Life
• George Clooney, The Descendants
• Jean Dujardin, The Artist
• Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
• Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Will Win: George Clooney or Jean Dujardin… It’s a toss-up

Should Win: Jean Dujardin or Gary Oldman

Really, this race is a two-man race (like most of the acting categories). Demiàn Bichir is one of those random nominees, so he’s out, along with Brad Pitt. His performance didn’t really wow me or anything. Now, Gary Oldman was awesome, and deserves this category hands down BUT, Jean Dujardin is nominated, and well, he was in a silent movie, which is much more difficult to perform in than a ‘talkie’. As for George Clooney, he’s the favorite. But was he really that good? No. It’s a performance worth a nomination, not a win. So, my pick is Jean Dujardin. I personally LOVED him, and he deserves this win.

BEST ACTRESS 

• Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis, The Help
• Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
• Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Will Win: Viola Davis

Should Win: Meryl Streep

Again, another two person race. Glenn Close was one of those random nominees, so she is out, and so is Rooney Mara, because the Academy does not favor dark movies like Dragon Tattoo. Michelle Williams COULD be a surprise win for playing Marilyn Monroe, but really, this is between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep. I do think the Academy will go for Davis because her role is a powerful one, and this is her first nominated role. But what about Oscar heavyweight Streep? Her performance in Iron Lady carried the movie, and I have a very, very strong feeling that this is her year to win.

BEST SUPPORING ACTOR

• Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
• Jonah Hill, Moneyball
• Nick Nolte, Warrior
• Christopher Plummer, Beginners
• Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Will Win: Christopher Plummer

Should Win: Christopher Plummer (though Jonah Hill was great)

This is a one man race. Christopher Plummer is 82 and has never won an Oscar. That’s  it. But, if the pros weren’t clogging this category, Jonah Hill would have a pretty good chance.

BEST SUPPPORTING ACTRESS

• Bèrènice Bejo, The Artist
• Jessica Chastain, The Help
• Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
• Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer, The Help

Will Win: Octavia Spencer

Should Win: Octavia Spencer or Bèrènice Bejo

This is a great category with lots of talent. Janet McTeer is out for Albert Nobbs, and so is Jessica Chastain, who was great but just doesn’t make the cut for an award. Everyone is rooting for Melissa McCarthy. I mean, she really was FUNNY! She should be honored that she was even nominated for a role in a comedy movie. Bèrènice Bejo was wonderful in the Artist, and for a while, I thought she would win. But Octavia Spencer’s performance really grew on me, and I realized that she really has the potential to win this. So even though Bejo was amazing, Spencer stole all our hearts.

BEST DIRECTOR

• Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
• Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
• Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
• Alexander Payne, The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius

Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius or Martin Scorsese

Everyone in this category deserves to win. Period. But only one can win. Tree of Life was very different, and took a lot of skill, but I feel like Malick’s technique is a little too artsy for the Academy. Everyone (including me) loves Midnight in Paris, but Allen’s movie isn’t as powerful as the other movies nominated. I love Alexander Payne, and The Descendants seemed like the movie to win until The Artist came on the scene. But he doesn’t stand up to the legend, Martin Scorsese. Hugo was a really good movie, and it was very complicated. I would pick him to win, but he just won this category a few years ago for The Departed, and he’s one of those ‘he’ll have another Oscar chance’ types. Who really, really deserves it? Michel Hazanavicius. Making movies without dialogue is extremely hard, but making silent movies that move you is harder. His skill and unique movie wins the race. He took a risk, and it paid off, big time!

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
• Margin Call by JC Chandor
• A Separation by Asghar Farhadi
• The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius
• Bridesmaids by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo

Will Win: Midnight in Paris

Should Win: Midnight in Paris or The Artist

Margin Call is one of those random ones, so that’s out. A Separation is just lucky to be nominated, foreign films getting nominated in other categories other than best foreign film is very rare. Bridesmaids was pretty great, but a comedy movie winning this category is slim to none. The Artist should win just for being a silent film, but I have a really strong hunch that Midnight in Paris could take this one. It’s charming, and very well written.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• The Descendants by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, and Jim Rash
• Hugo by John Logan
• The Ides of March by George Clooney and Grant Heslov
• Moneyball by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Bridget O’Conner and Peter Straughn

Will Win: The Descendants

Should Win: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Many, many great nominees here. Hugo was good, but nothing special. I didn’t like how Ides of March ended, so that pretty much ruined it for me. I really loved Tinker Tailor. I mean, the entire movie is dialogue yet it’s so suspenseful! But, since it’s British, I don’t think it will win. I was torn between Moneyball and The Descendants to win. Moneyball flowed no nicely, even if it was a film about baseball, and I love Aaron Sorkin. But I’m going with The Descendants. If the Academy is going to deprive Alexander Payne of a possible best picture and a possible best director, they have to give him best adapted screenplay.

BEST ART DIRECTION 

• The Artist
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Hugo

Though sets in The Artist were nostalgically charming, and Midnight in Paris was unique, Hugo was a complex, beautiful movie. The sets were gorgeous, so this award has Hugo written all over it.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

• The Artist
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Will Win: The Tree of Life

Should Win: The Tree of Life (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive)

I don’t even think there is any competition here. Hugo and War Horse are close, but Tree of Life had some amazing shots which were executed perfectly. The lighting was perfect as well. But, there are two films where are not nominated and should be: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive. Both had AMAZING cinematography, and could have had a shot at winning.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Anonymous
• The Artist
• Hugo
• Jane Eyre
• W.E.

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or Hugo

This is a category with two major competitors: The Artist and Hugo. Neither really blew me away, but I’ll go with The Artist. The 20s era costumes were nice, and they stood out over the black and white color. Hugo is a possible win, but I doubt it.

BEST MAKEUP

• Albert Nobbs
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• The Iron Lady

Will Win: The Iron Lady

Should Win: The Iron Lady

All I can say is wow. How did they make Meryl Streep look so old?!

BEST FILM EDITING

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Moneyball

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or The Descendants

This is one of the hardest categories to predict since editing is supposed to be the invisible art. So, I think back to what I think flowed the best, like which movie I watched effortlessly. The two which pop up first are The Artist and The Descendants. Both were smooth and well cut, but I’ll go with The Artist since it used so many old-fashioned techniques.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Hugo
• Real Steel
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I didn’t see Planet of the Apes, but I know that it is motion capture, which is very complicated and very innovative, so that’s my choice. Also, I am mad that Tintin wasn’t nominated for best animated picture, because some people don’t think motion capture is animation. So I’m going for motion capture.

BEST SOUND EDITING 

• Drive
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Drive

This is the ONLY category Drive is nominated in, so it gets my vote no matter what.

BEST SOUND MIXING 

• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Moneyball
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Hugo

These sound categories confuse me. So I usually just go with the most complicated film nominated (Inception won this and sound editing last year). Hugo seems like a safe pick.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• The Adventures of Tintin by John Williams
• The Artist by Ludovic Bource
• Hugo by Howard Shore
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Alberto Iglesias
• War Horse by John Williams

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or The Adventures of Tintin

With two nominations for genius John Williams, he’s bound to win, right? Wrong. Newcomer Alberto Iglesias is out, along with Howard Shore. It’s John Williams vs John Williams vs Ludovic Bource, who is pretty much unknown. John Williams deserves a win for his epic soundtracks, but The Artist is a silent movie, and whats the only thing you have to listen to in a silent movie? Music. And the music in The Artist was exceptionally good.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
• “Real in Rio” from Rio

Will Win: The Muppets

Should Win: The Muppets

Anything from The Muppets will win in the sound category. Also, this is my favorite song from that movie, because when Jim Parsons shows up and starts singing it, I laughed so hard I cried!

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• A Cat in Paris
• Chico and Rita
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rango

Will Win: Rango

Should Win: The Adventures of Tintin

This category makes me mad. I love Tintin. I have the comics (yes, I do). And it was a movie packed full of action like the books. And apparently, motion capture isn’t animation. Tintin should have been nominated, and should have won.

BEST PICTURE

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist

Lets work our way up to the top. Extremely Loud is the lowest rated, and some consider it the worst best picture nominated movie ever, so that’s out (did I mention it’s ‘rotten’ on Rotten Tomatoes?). Along with that will go War Horse, which was sentimental, but seems like it was nominated just for being a Spielberg film. Next will go Tree of Life, which was very cool, but the Academy is not quite ready for something so artsy. Moneyball is eliminated next, because many people didn’t get it, and it’s not as strong as the other ones in this category. After that is Midnight in Paris, which was a wonderful movie, but again, not powerful enough to pull through. We’re down to the four that are the strongest: The Help, Hugo, The Descendants, and The Artist. Next off is The Help, which was a fan favorite, but only acclaimed for its acting. After that is Hugo, which was a very complicated movie done by Martin Scorsese, and has that big, hollywood movie feel that the Academy loves, but it’s not his best. Finally, I will eliminate The Descendants. It’s a cozy movie with strong themes, and if it weren’t for The Artist, this would have been Alexander Payne’s year to win. The Artist has won me over. It’s charming: the play on silent films, the amazing acting, and the fact that it moves you so much without saying a word. Add in the fact that it is a silent black and white film, and very unique, this has the Academy won over, the Oscar in its hand, and even I am in love with it.

Directors and Their ‘Best’

So, when people ask me who my favorite director is, I don’t have one answer. I have seven of them. Why seven? Well, I have seven directors that I adore, so naturally, they are all worthy of my favoritism. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

• J.J. Abrams
• Kathryn Bigelow
• David Fincher
• Jason Reitman
• Martin Scorsese
• Steven Spielberg
• Quentin Tarantino

Everyone feels there is a certain movie that is the director’s ‘best movie’, which is true. But, I’m just going to talk about my favorite from each director. I’m not saying all their work isn’t amazing, it’s just my favorite, the one I can watch over and over again.

J.J. Abrams: Star Trek

Ok, so he’s a newbie. Some people really don’t like him. But, he has some great writing. I do love Super 8, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just how he was able to revive Star Trek, it was very respectable. Sure, there are still nerds out there who have cursed his name, but the movie is really good. Sleek, action-packed, yet not soulless like Michael Bay’s Transformer series. J.J. had some big shoes to fill, and I think he did it perfectly. For an action movie, this is great. And action movies are not my favorite.

Kathryn Bigelow: The Hurt Locker

First off, the was the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, so that makes her a winner in my book. Second, this movie was… Well, I am at a loss for words. When I was watching it, there were times when my hands would be clammy, and I would start shaking. It’s the fact that a movie can do this to me is what intrigues me. The way Bigelow paired shaky sequences with no sound whatsoever is terrifying and thrilling. By the end, my heart was pounding from all the subtle adrenaline. Take that James Cameron! Your Avatar made me snooze. I am thrilled The Hurt Locker beat it.

David Fincher: The Social Network

David Fincher, master of darkness. The Social Network is a beautiful movie. I describe it as ‘eating a delicious dessert’, and get weird looks. But it’s true. I eat this movie by the spoonful. The cinematography and editing are flawless. But it’s the story that drives this movie. I’m a perfectly good, well-natured person, but I love those gritty movies about the downfall of characters (this probably explains why I love There Will Be Blood). So for a girl who always thought of myself as the villain in movies, this one is quite lovable.

Jason Reitman: Up in the Air

I didn’t expect to love this movie or even see myself watching it. I was about to sit down and watch Kill Bill when I saw this playing on HBO. The title sequence looked amazing, so I looked for a later time, then recorded it. My, this movie is a work of art. Anyone who appreciates good writing would love this movie. It has a similar feel to The Social Network in cinematography and editing, but it’s more of a feel-good, cozy movie. A must for any minimalist.

Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas

Arguably one of the best movies ever, Goodfellas tops all of Scorsese’s movies. After watching that opening sequence for the first time, I had a new respect for movies. We follow the rise and fall of Henry Hill in the organized mob, and it is a beautiful story told with the perfect amount of action, violence, and love. You practically feel apart of the Italian family, frozen with the dead bodies in the truck, and jittery while trying to flee from a helicopter. I’ve watched it over and over, yet Goodfellas continues to give me that nostalgic movie feel.

Steven Spielberg: Indiana Jones (Raiders/Last Crusade)

Alright, you can hardly choose a favorite Spielberg movie. He does so many genres and so many stories, you have to choose five. I could have chosen Jurassic Park, my first PG-13 and Spielberg film, or E.T., the heartwarming tale that makes all of us wither. But no, I have to go with Indiana Jones. I know, it’s not his masterpiece, but it’s the classic adventure movie. I really have no idea how many times I’ve watched this movie, yet I still enjoy it. Every single time. Nazis, chases, whips, Egypt… This is the classic adventure movie that will withstand the test of time, especially when tied up with an ageless John Williams soundtrack.

Quentin Tarantino: Inglourious Basterds

Reservoir Dogs changed action movies with its sharp dialogue, Pulp Fiction is unlike anything I have ever seen, and the Kill Bill series is the spoof to top all spoofs. So why Inglourious Basterds? Well, because it is the definition of masterpiece. The screenplay is perfection, riddled with beautiful dialogue and so packed that if you blink during a subtitle, you miss some amazing line. It’s dramatic yet witty without trying so hard. The music, while not original, fits everywhere. To top it all off, you have Christoph Waltz as the most terrifying happy-evil SS Nazi I have ever seen. Tarantino really knows how to make a movie epic and beautiful.

Golden Globes Predictions

So here’s a “short” (short compared to what I do for the Academy Awards) list of predictions and reasons for the Golden Globes. Let’s see how many insults Ricky Gervais can rack up this year. Enjoy!

GOLDEN GLOBES PREDICTIONS:

BEST PICTURE, DRAMA
• “The Descendants”
• “The Help”
• “Hugo”
• “The Ides of March”
• “Moneyball”
• “War Horse”
REASON: Go see it. The Descendants is amazing.

BEST PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
• “50/50″
• “The Artist”
• “Midnight in Paris”
• “My Week with Marilyn”
REASON: The Artist is awesome. The HFPA are foreign. The Artist is French. They’ll favor it in any category.

BEST DIRECTOR
• Woody Allen, “Midnight In Paris”
• George Clooney, “The Ides of March”
• Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
• Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
• Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
REASON: Any director of a silent film is bound to win. It’s much more complicated than making a film with dialogue.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA
• George Clooney, “The Descendants”
• Leonardo DiCaprio, “J Edgar”
• Michael Fassbender, “Shame”
• Ryan Gosling, “The Ides of March”
• Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
REASON: Now, George Clooney should and probably will win this category for his outstanding performance. But, the NFPA loves Brad Pitt, so he has a slim chance for an upset.

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
• Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
• Viola Davis, “The Help”
• Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
• Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
• Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
REASON: the only movie I’ve seen in this category is “The Help”, and from what I’ve seen, Viola Davis should win. But, Meryl Streep is a big contender, with great acting, and the HFPA loves her. Wouldn’t be surprised if she won.

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
• Brendan Gleeson, “The Guard”
• Joseph Gordon Levitt, “50/50″
• Ryan Gosling, “Crazy Stupid Love”
• Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”
REASON: There’s hardly any competition here, Jean Dujardin was in a silent film, and he was fantastic. But, again, the HFPA can be weird, and Ryan Gosling might have a chance.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
• Jodie Foster, “Carnage”
• Charlize Theron, “Young Adult”
• Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
• Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
• Kate Winslet, “Carnage”
REASON: “Bridesmaids” is the only movie I’ve seen in this category, so I have to say Kristen Wiig. But I’ve heard it’s going to be a battle between her, Michelle Williams, and Charlize Theron.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
• Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
• Albert Brooks, “Drive”
• Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
• Viggo Mortensen, “A Dangerous Method”
• Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
REASON: “Moneyball” is the only movie I’ve seen in this category so I have to say Jonah Hill, even though he doesn’t really have a chance against Christopher Plummer or Albert Brooks, who are both predicted to win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
• Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
• Jessica Chastain , “The Help”
• Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
• Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
• Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”
REASON: This is one of the hardest categories to choose. You can throw out Janet McTeer, since “Albert Nobbs” didn’t get great ratings, and you can throw out Shailene Woodley. Even though she was great in “The Descendants”, she’s a little too young to beat the others in this category. That leaves 3, 2 of which are from “The Help”. I’m saying Berenice Bejo because I have a feeling the HFPA will give everything to “The Artist”, plus she really deserves it. But, Octavia Spenser was wonderful in “The Help” and beat Bejo for the Critic’s Choice Award, so she could easily be the winner. Now, I could have thrown out Jessica Chastain, because she was great in “The Help”, but her talent wasn’t as good as Spencer or Bejo. But, she could be the winner because the HFPA can decide between Spencer or Bejo. I’m going with my gut on this one: Berenice Bejo.

BEST SCREENPLAY
• “Midnight in Paris,” Woody Allen
• “The Ides of March,” George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
• “The Artist,” Michel Hazanavicius
• “The Descendants,” Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
• “Moneyball,” Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin
REASON: For me, the very hardest one to predict. I haven’t seen “The Ides of March” so I’ll throw that one out. “MIdnight in Paris” won the Critic’s Choice Awards, and is my personal favorite screenplay up here, though “The Artist” will probably beat it because “The Artist” is a silent film, and therefore harder to write. But, keep in mind, “Midnight in Paris” beat it for the Critic’s Choice Award. Then there’s “The Descendants” and “Moneyball”. “The Descendants” has some great writing, but I don’t know if it can beat the HFPA’s love for “The Artist”. Same as “Moneyball”: Even though I love Aaron Sorkin and he won last year for “The Social Network”, I’m going to have to say “The Artist” for this one, though I will be thrilled if “Midnight in Paris” wins.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
• “The Adventures of Tintin”
• “Arthur Christmas”
• “Cars 2″
• “Puss in Boots”
• “Rango”
REASON: “Tintin” should win, hands down, even if people say it’s not a true animated movie. If the HFPA thinks that, then it goes to “Rango”, but “Tintin” did well overseas, so it will win.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
• “The Flowers of War”
• “In The Land of Blood and Honey”
• “The Kid WIth The Bike”
• “A Separation”
• “The Skin I Live In”
REASON: I didn’t see any, but the HFPA will pick “In The Land of Blood and Honey” because they adore Angelina Jolie.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
• “The Artist,” Ludovic Bource
• “W.E.,” Abel Korzeniowski
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
• “Hugo,” Howard Shore
• “War Horse,” John Williams
REASON: I’ve only seen “Hugo” and “The Artist”, so I’ll say “the Artist” will win. But you never know with the incredible John Williams and the fresh Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross duo.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
• “Lay Your Head Down,” “Albert Nobbs”
• 
”Hello Hello,” “Gnomeo and Juliet”
• 
”The Living Proof,” “The Help”
• 
”The Keeper,” “Machine Gun Preacher”
• 
”Masterpiece,” “W.E.”
REASON: Really, I have no idea. If there were any Muppet songs, they would win, but there aren’t any. So I’ll just guess “The Help” song for the heck of it.

Tintin: Good, Old-Fashioned Entertainment

Us Americans. Sometimes, I think we are just way too full of ourselves. Why? Well this can best explained though the “rise and fall” (if I dare even call it a ‘fall’) of The Adventures of Tintin.

When this movie first came out, many of my friends said “Yeah, looks cool” whilst I just stared at them like they were completely maniacal. How can one NOT know Tintin? How can one NOT like Tintin?

In Elementary school, by 4th grade we were allowed to check out graphic novels and comics from the library. Everyone mainly went for ‘Bone’ or ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ (which I do like), but I reached for the ol’ ‘Adventures of Tintin’. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve read most of them. One my brother reached that golden age, he too discovered how amazing Tintin is, and even bought a few from the bookstore.

As you can see, I’ve adored Tintin for quite some time. In January 2011, I discovered Tintin was being made into a movie, and better yet, the amazing Steven Spielberg was directing! This just about blew my mind. So all year I’ve been awaiting this movie.

In the fashion of a true fan, I had to attend opening day, and I just had to see it in IMAX 3D. I expected a lot form this movie, and boy, it was better than I ever imagined! It’s just pure, shameless adventure! It’s non-stop, a plethora of those feel-good Spielberg-esque moments like Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park gives you. Those are pretty big hits in America, why won’t Tintin be the same?

Apparently not. See, we Americans apparently are not accustomed to Tintin, and therefore do not like it. In Europe, Tintin is like the Classic Peanuts comic strip we have here: Everyone knows it, and everyone adores it. Overseas, Tintin had rave reviews. Critics and audiences loved it. But here, in the U.S., critics say there’s too much action, and fans just don’t like watching a character they don’t know.

I think Tintin is pure entertainment. Why can’t we just have a little entertainment sometimes? It was a happy, playful, entertaining movie. Since when is that not enough? With that, I say, open your mind.

A Much Needed Winter Break

So my honors English class has us post a massive blog every week, so by the time I actually have time to blog, I just want to sleep.

I really have no clue how I’m going to make it out of here alive.

Anyways, a few great developments have happened. One, I ranted to my principal (this was the first time I met him) about how OHS NEEDS a film club, and how disappointed I was that we didn’t have one. He looked at me and said “You are right. When can we get started?” and well…. I am now going to be the new leader and founder of the OHS Film Committee, and organize the annual OHS Film Festival. Heck, I’m only a Freshman, and they’re letting me do this? I feel awesome.

Another development: film festivals. I have kind of slacked, and not entered my film into them via withoutabox. So the other night, I had a horrible nightmare that woke me up from my lazy state, and I entered into 10 (not counting NFFTY or Reel 2 Real, so that makes 12 overall). Frankly, if I don’t get into any, that was a total waste of $100. But if I only get into one, that was $100 well spent. One of the festivals is grades 1-9, so I am 98% sure I have that one as a confirmation, and possibly a win.

On the topic of what I’ve been watching, well, there’s quite a bit. I’ve watched some lesser-known Spielberg, like Minority Report and Catch Me if you Can. Minority Report was a little sketchy, just on the border of my sci-fi limit, but Catch Me if You Can was really good! John Williams’ score was quirky and added so much more to it as well. But the overall story was engaging and interesting, and like in all Spielberg movies, heartwarming.

Then I saw There Will Be Blood. Oh my. That is one intense movie. I saw a little over half at film camp, and now I wonder why I waited so long to finish it! That movie keeps you on edge the entire time, with the fluid cinematography and the distorted music. The new ‘modern western’ genre has really proved its worth. Basically, Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, the misanthropic oil man, scared the… Everything, out of me. He won that Oscar HANDS DOWN. I have no clue why critics only gave it 3 stars.

And finally, I made my Oscar nominee list. Not only will I be predicting the winners this year, but I will also be predicting the nominations. I’m currently at school, so I can copy+paste the list, but I will do so soon. And give some commentary on it. But off of that list I’ve seen two movies: The Muppets and The Tree of Life.

I would just like to say that The Muppets was awesome. I knew it would be funny, and convinced my friends to go. Within the first five minutes, they all almost left the theater. But, in the end, they all came out LOVING the movie, just LOVING it.  It was refreshing to see humor that wasn’t all Adam Sandler-y (like his newest fail Jack and Jill proves). It was just so… Funny! DEFINITELY a fresh new movie to go see.

Now The Tree of Life… I really don’t know what to say. I didn’t hate it, yet I didn’t love it. It was… Different? I’ll just stay neutral on that one. It was cool watching something a little outside my comfort zone though. And it kind of hypnotized me. It’s like you want to shut off the TV and say “Stupid abstract movie. Why do I waste my time?” but you really can’t.

So, I have no school blog posts for 4 weeks, so get ready for lots of posting. Upcoming topics: Oscar Nominees, and Drinking Other People’s Milkshakes.